Dexter Series Finale is Highest-Rated Showtime Episode Ever

Last night, Showtime said goodbye to its drama series “Dexter.” The series finale delivered the show’s highest-rated telecast ever and the biggest audience ever for an original episode in Showtime history, besting the show’s season seven finale and season eight premiere.

“Dexter” attracted 2.8 million viewers at 9 p.m. (up 13 percent from the season 8 premiere  vs. 2.5 million viewers, and up from the season seven finale  vs. 2.7 million) and 3.3 million viewers for the night (up from the season eight premiere  vs. 3.2 million viewers).

“Dexter’s” eighth and final season is on pace to rank as the series’ highest-rated season ever, a record which the show continued to break season after season. Season-to-date, “Dexter” is averaging 6.4 million weekly viewers across platforms (up versus its seventh season, vs. 6.1 million).

“Ray Donovan,” meanwhile, ended its season ranked as the highest-rated freshman series in Showtime history, outpacing the first season of “Homeland” by 33 percent. Last night, the season one finale of “Ray Donovan” delivered 2.1 million viewers for the night, the best finale night ever for a freshman series on Showtime. The series garnered 1.41 million viewers at 10 p.m. (outranking its series premiere  vs. 1.35 million). Season-to-date, “Ray Donovan” is averaging 5.7 million weekly viewers across platforms, and now ranks as the network’s third highest-rated show, behind only “Homeland” and “Dexter.”